Great Steaks On The Cheap

Posted on: August 3rd, 2012

My brother DJ and I started cutting meat back in 1978, learning from our Dad as well as a series of old world butchers from both coasts and Europe (and now we’re the old guys – geez!) I remember all of the little tricks they taught us, especially the ‘secret butcher cuts’ – tasty cuts that the butchers always took home for themselves. They were usually a real pain to extract from whole carcass beef, trimming is usually a nightmare, there’s usually only one or two per animal and they don’t look as pretty as a T-bone, but they were so darn delicious – we ate them all the time, but never tried to sell them.

My brother DJ (left), Jimbo and I (right) in the meat room, early 1980’s.

2015 Update: We just don’t sell enough of these steaks to keep them all in stock all of the time, but you can always order your favorite! Just call the Tony’s Near You and speak to the meat manager.

Chuck Eye Steaks
As the rib eye extends into the chuck roast, the first few steaks are particularly tasty and have a great texture. I like to marinate and grill over low to medium heat and rest 5-10 minutes before serving. This is one of my favorite steaks!

Chuck Eye Steak: Great marbling and flavor for grilling, excellent marinated or encrusted, cook to medium rare – medium well and rest before slicing.

Culotte Strip Steak
The juiciest, most flavorful and most tender portion of the Top Sirloin steak.

Culotte Strip Steak: Great taste and tenderness, excellent marinated or encrusted, also great for stir fry or kabobs, best served at medium rare.

Sirloin Chateau Steak
A petite steak cut from the center sirloin, without the gristle or fat. We wrap them in bacon for a little extra flavor – it’s certainly not as wonderful as a filet mignon, but darn good for less than half the price!

Sirloin Chateau Steak: One of beef’s leanest cuts, it cooks quickly and is excellent marinated or encrusted and cooked to medium rare – rest for 5-10 minutes and slice thinly on a bias.

Flat Iron Steak
Beef’s second most-tender muscle after tenderloin, painstakingly cut from the chuck clod, it’s got big flavor and tenderness on the grill. It’s most popular as a Steak Sizzl’r in our Bordelaise Marinade.

Flat Iron Steak: With it’s hearty beef flavor, we usually marinate these as a ‘Steak Sizzl’r’ – pair with full flavor seasonings or marinades and grill from rare to medium – also great for stir fry and satays!

Skirt Steak
A juicy and flavorful cut from the rib diaphragm, these are the original steak for Fajitas. They’ve got a flavor like rib eye and a nice texture. Marinate or season and grill about medium rare and rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing across the grain.

Skirt Steak: This diaphragm muscle has amazing flavor as a steak and is also a top choice for stir frying! Cut thinly across the grain for tenderness.

Chuck Tender Steak
The tender Teres Major muscle from the chuck clod, it’s lean and offers great flavor marinated or simply seasoned. Also great for kabobs and stir fry! We usually sell marinated as a Steak Sizzl’r.

Petite Tender Steak: A tasty cut with a full beef flavor, it loves overnight marinating and is great on the grill, cut for ka-bobs, stroganoff or stir-fries. Grill with slow heat for the best results.

Bavette Steak
A vertically grained cut from the flank that’s tasty and tender – this one takes a little longer to grill, but it’s worth it! We like to marinate as a Steak Sizzl’r.

Bavette Steak: A delicious cut that loves overnight marinating and slow grilling, or slice for great stir-fries or fajitas. I recommend longer cooking times over low to medium heat and thin slicing.

Sierra Cut Steak
One of the most tender cuts in the chuck, it’s a good choice to marinate and grill, or try it in sautes or stroganoff. We usually sell it marinated as a Steak Sizzl’r.

Sierra Steak: Marinate and grill over medium heat from medium rare to medium well and slice thinly across the grain, also great sautéed in More Than Gourmet Red Wine Reduction Sauce or your favorite.

Newport Steak
Cuts from the Tri Tip, or Bottom Sirloin, this is a tasty cut for grilling, stroganoff or stir-fries. It loves long marinate times and thin slicing across the grain.

Newport Steak: If you like the flavor of tri-tip, you’ll love this steak! Best marinated overnight, grilled and sliced thinly on a bias.

Marinated Slow Grilled Steak

Sirloin Steak on the BGE

Slow cooking will make any meat more tender, and slow cooking with indirect heat is often the key to perfectly grilled foods, cooking them slowly to keep them as tender and juicy as possible. Works great with a gas, charcoal and especially the Big Green Egg! Since

If using a pre-marinated steak, skip to the next step. 1-2 days in advance, place one of our high value steaks in a plastic bag or flat bowl. Combine oil, seasonings and garlic and slather evenly over steak – move to refrigerator and marinade (a canola oil blend will stay liquid refrigerated – use your most flavorful olive oil). Marinade in refrigerator for at least 24 and up to 48 hours. Remove steak from refrigerator 2 hours before cooking and rest at cool room temperature.

Flat Iron Steak

Gas Grills: Build an indirect dual temperature fire: light grill and turn the flames as low as possible on the cooking area and turn the other burners up to hold the grill at about 250-275° degrees (if your grill burns hot, turn off low side completely). Wood chips in a chip tin or pierced can or foil are recommended – place in a hot spot under cooking grate. Quickly sear first side of the steak over the hot part of the grill just to create grill marks, about 2 minutes, turn and move to the low side of the grill to cook slowly to your preferred internal
temperature.

Charcoal Grills: Build an indirect fire by banking coals to one side or around the outsides of your grill, leaving a space on the grid without coals below it. Use vents to adjust air temperature to about 250-275° and cook as above.The Big Green Egg: Build a fire with a combination of hardwood charcoal and hickory, apple or other grilling chunks. Adjust temperature to about 250-275° and cook to preferred internal temperature.

Chef’s Cooking Notes: For the best results with all steaks, cook just below desired finished temperature, remove to a plate, cover and rest 10-15 minute rest time to allow for carryover cooking – which assures maximum juiciness. After resting, slice all steaks with a sharp knife (not serrated) across the grain as thinly as possible for maximum tenderness.